


Longest Journey - March

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Original Character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-03-04
Updated: 2001-03-04
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: The longest journey begins with a single step.  Or nine months, whichever's easiest.





	1. Longest Journey - March

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER/NOTES/etc.: See introduction  
SUMMARY: The longest journey begins...

March

"One thing that we've never talked about," KD said as Josh and   
Leo walked into the Oval Office.  
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on maternity   
leave. For example, at home." Leo exclaimed.  
"The primary elections are less than two weeks away, and Senator   
Mathis just came out with an allegation that the White House staff is   
full of amoral people." KD retorted with a smirk. "She said that   
we've got a presidential aide dating the First Daughter, an executive   
political advisor married to the white house communications director,   
the chief of staff's daughter married to the deputy communications   
director, the press secretary married to a white house reporter, the   
deputy chief of staff married to his own assistant."   
"He's making it out like the White House has become an orgy   
house." Toby exclaimed. Leo's jaw dropped.  
"We so do not need this right now." Josh muttered.  
"No, really? I think the three of us could not need this right   
now." KD retorted as she patted her growing belly.  
"Why aren't you wearing shoes?" Josh asked.   
"Because if I dared put shoes on, I'd never get them off." KD   
answered. "Want me to take my slippers off so you can see my big fat   
swollen feet?" Josh looked at Toby who smirked and raised a   
questioning eyebrow.  
"No, but thanks for the offer." He muttered.   
"That's what I thought." KD retorted.   
"No mention of the fact that the chief of staff is engaged to a   
writer, eh?" Leo said with a tired smirk.  
"Well, she doesn't do much in the way of politics." Josh started.  
"But her sister does." KD added.   
"So we might want to be prepared for that." Toby finished.   
"What was the phrase he used? `Melrose Wing'?" KD asked. Toby   
rolled his eyes and nodded.   
"I think that's an insult." Josh mused.   
"I think it's supposed to be, doofus." CJ said as she walked in   
and found her seat.  
"Nice to see you too, Claudia Jean. Having a good day?" Josh said   
sweetly.  
"Go to hell." CJ replied just as sweetly.  
"That's what I thought." Josh replied.  
"So what do we do?" Sam asked as he made himself comfortable.  
"The primaries are two weeks away. I say go out there and tell   
Mathis to shove it." KD suggested.   
"That's a no. Any other suggestions?" Leo asked.  
"Spoilsport." KD teased.   
"We can point out that he's just jealous." Josh suggested.  
"Josh..." Leo warned.   
"No, really. Mathis is a divorced man, no children, a lonely old   
fart who's spent the last twelve years alone." Josh replied. "He's   
jealous that other people have found happiness when he couldn't."  
"Saying a lonely old fart spends all his time alone is a bit   
redundant, don't you think?" KD asked playfully.   
"Shut up, Kody." Josh retorted. "I'm not the writer here."  
"Neither am I, but-" KD started.   
"Children, can we please?" Leo interrupted. KD chuckled and   
nodded.   
"So what are we talking about today?" Jed Bartlet asked as he   
entered the room.  
"Apparently the White House is a site for orgies, sir." Leo   
exclaimed.   
"All right. Let me just call my wife and get her down here." Jed   
said in playful excitement. Everyone groaned. "Who said this and why   
are we taking it seriously?" He said in all seriousness.   
"Mathis." Josh said.  
"Who else?" CJ muttered.   
"Forget about it. What's next?" Jed said.  
"Excuse me, sir. The major runner for the Republican nomination   
has told the world that the current White House is practically a   
whorehouse and that `we need to put true American values' back in the   
White House." Josh said hesitantly. "You're telling us not to say   
anything to that?"   
"Josh, search your heart. What American value is truer than love,   
huh?" The President replied with a smile.   
"Very good point, sir." Josh said softly.  
"Good. Now what's next?" He asked.   
"St. Patrick's Day is coming up." KD said with a grin.  
"Oh, no." Everyone groaned.   
"Come on. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't look   
forward to St. Patrick's Day." She exclaimed.  
"I feel very sorry for your children." Josh muttered.   
"Funny, I was just saying the same thing to Donna the other day."   
KD retorted.   
"Donna's pregnant?" CJ cried. Josh paled.   
"No!" KD retorted. "I was just telling her that when they do have   
children, I hoped they took after their mother."  
"You're evil." Josh muttered as the color returned to his face.  
"Maybe so, but the look on your face was worth any evilness." KD   
retorted. Josh merely stuck his tongue out.  
"I feel like we're finally getting back to normal." Jed muttered.   
"It's horrible, isn't it?" Leo muttered.   
"Hey!" The rest of the staff proclaimed, causing the President to   
chuckle.  
"I get back from the campaign trail and I find you guys." He said   
with an eyebrow arched. Leo chuckled. "Play time is over, kids.   
What's next?"

"Don't do this, Katy." Toby warned.  
"I'm not going to drink, Toby, but that doesn't mean I still   
can't have my fun. I'm Irish. I'm allowed." KD retorted as she   
scribbled some notes on her legal pad. "Give me something to do on   
this maternity leave everyone's saying I should take.  
"A St. Patrick's Day dinner is not what you should be spending   
your time on." Leo pointed out as he stepped into her office.  
"I did last year." She retorted.  
"You weren't pregnant with twins last year." Leo replied.  
"Technically, since I became pregnant in August, I was pregnant   
last -" KD started.  
"Oh, be quiet." Leo said with a chuckle. "I hear you guys are   
going house-hunting."   
"We've been house-hunting for nearly two months now." KD   
retorted. "We're trying to find a place that's reasonably close to   
here, and to good schools, and that would be a good place to raise   
two kids in."   
"Or more." Toby said with a mischievous grin.  
"Not while my feet are this sore." KD replied. Leo rolled his   
eyes.  
"Could we stop with the disturbing mental pictures, please?" Leo   
asked.  
"Leo, you've got Irish heritage just like me. So does the   
President. Why don't we celebrate our Irish backgrounds?" KD asked,   
somewhat playfully.  
"I wonder what life is gonna be like for your boys being raised   
as Irish Jews." Leo mused aloud. Toby did his best not to snort in   
laughter. KD smiled weakly and shrugged before looking at her papers   
again.  
"Well, there are many things I wonder about in that regard." She   
said softly. Toby paused and looked at Leo.   
"Hey." Leo said softly. "You're gonna be a great mom. You know   
that." He assured her. KD smiled weakly at him and nodded.   
"I'm just wondering what kind of parent I can be when I didn't   
have the best examples to work with." She admitted. Leo frowned.   
"I'm gonna take that as an insult and I'm sure the President and   
Abbey will too." He said. KD laughed weakly. Leo knelt down in front   
of her and brushed the hair out of her eyes. Toby watched silently   
from behind. Perhaps Leo would have more luck convincing her that   
everything would be okay than he had.   
"You know what I mean." She said softly as she gazed into Leo's   
eyes. He smiled and put her hand on her own stomach.  
"This is all that matters. You and Toby are going to be the   
greatest parents that have ever been. I promise." He said softly. KD   
smiled.   
"Thanks, dad." She said softly.  
"You believe it?" He probed.  
"Since when have I ever doubted a word you've said?" She asked.  
"That's what I'm worried about." He retorted with a smile.  
"I believe it." She agreed. Toby let out a soft sigh of   
relief. "Now help me plan my St. Patrick's Day dinner." She added.   
"Oy." Leo exclaimed as he got to his feet.  
"Vey." Toby finished as he went back to writing. Leo chuckled.  
"I'll help you." He assured her. Toby looked at Leo as if the man   
was crazy.  
"Really?" KD asked eagerly.  
"If you promise me that you'll take the damn maternity leave and   
stop coming to this office to do the work you do." Leo added.   
"Come on, Leo. Some women work right up to the point that they   
start having labor pains." KD exclaimed.  
"Those women are either not pregnant with twins or reckless." Leo   
retorted.   
"For the kids, Katy. Please?" Toby asked softly. "You're starting   
your third trimester and I hear that twins are almost always born   
premature. You've got to take it easy." He added as he got up and   
walked over to his wife. KD moved so he could sit down and then   
rested her head against his shoulder.  
"Okay. If you plan the St. Patrick's Day party, and let me come   
to it," She said with a weak smile. "I'll stay home and take it easy."  
"It's a deal." Leo said as he shook her hand. "Starting now.   
Toby, take her home."  
"That's not what I said." KD whined. Toby smiled and stroked her   
hair.   
"We're going home anyway." He said.   
"Toby, I'll talk to Sam and the President. Feel free to stay with   
her." Leo added as he headed for the door.   
"Yeah, you've got Mandy to help you now." KD said softly.  
"Hey. It's because we love you that we're kicking you out of   
here." Leo pointed out and smirked. KD nodded and then snuggled into   
her husband's side.  
"Yes, sir, daddy-o." She said tiredly.

 

 


	2. Longest Journey - March 2

 

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER/NOTES/etc.: See introduction  
SUMMARY: The longest journey begins... 

"Can someone tell me who Zarry Teeger is?" Josh asked as he   
stepped into the Oval Office.   
"Is now really the best time to be asking that?" Mandy asked.   
"I found this book on my desk by Zarry Teeger. I was just   
wondering." Josh retorted.   
"I found one too. I think all the senior staff got one, plus a   
few others." CJ replied.   
"Guys, they're voting!" Mandy hissed.   
"Mandy, they've been voting all day." Josh retorted. "The fact   
that they're still voting does not surprise me." He added.   
"Go to hell." Mandy retorted.   
"I did. It's called a post-St.-Patrick's-Day-Dinner hangover."   
Josh retorted.   
"You got to admit, Josh, you did have fun." Sam pointed out.  
"I wish Donna had stopped me from having that much to drink. She   
normally does." Josh muttered.   
"She thought you were having too much fun, and that it was time   
you learned your lesson." CJ interrupted.   
"Wonderful. Betrayed by my own wife." Josh muttered.  
"Could we focus here?" Mandy cried nervously.  
"Relax. We either win or we don't." Josh replied.   
"Oh, that's wonderful." Mandy hissed.   
"The President just called. He and the others are settled in at   
the farmhouse." Leo said as he walked into the room.  
"Good. Send Mandy out there too. She's driving us insane." Josh   
exclaimed. Leo ignored him.   
"Toby called. He and KD found a townhouse right around Mt. Vernon   
Park, and it's in escrow. Sam called; he's stuck on DuPont circle   
with Mallory. I think I heard her yelling at him in the background."   
The Chief of Staff continued. "67% of the voting booths are closed   
and we're in the lead."   
"Who's Zarry Teeger?" Josh asked.   
"I don't know, but whoever it is left a copy of his book on my   
desk." Leo replied. "It's really good too."  
"You read it?" Josh asked.  
"Sure, why not?" Leo retorted as he started to poke through the   
pastries on the table.  
"Well, what if it was a bomb or something?" Josh asked.   
"I'm sure the secret service would allow bomb books into our   
offices, Josh." CJ retorted dryly.   
"Still, I mean... It's possible." Josh murmured.  
"Is he going on about bomb books again?" Donna asked as she   
entered the room.  
"Is it at all possible for you people to be quiet?" Mandy snapped.  
"Okay, time to get out the tranquilizer gun." Josh exclaimed.   
"Good idea." Leo muttered. Mandy rolled her eyes.  
"How can you guys not care about the outcome of the votes?" She   
asked harshly.  
"You think we don't care? It's not that. It's the fact that we've   
been working hard for months now on this election and whatever   
happens tonight, we no longer have control over it." Josh exclaimed.  
"If we win, we have a few more months left of campaigning in   
which we have to haul ass." CJ joined in. "If we lose, then we lose   
and we move on."   
"Not that moving on is that easy, mind you, but you get the   
idea." Leo added.  
"Besides, inside, all of us are freaking out. I personally just   
think that it's better not to kill myself over it until we know   
either which way." CJ said.  
"If we lose, then she can kill herself." Josh joked.  
"Exactly." CJ replied with a chuckle.  
"I think Mandy's ready to do that anyway." Leo said with an   
innocent smile.   
"Shut up." Mandy muttered.   
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite hear you. Could you repeat that?" Leo   
asked in a mock gruffness as he leaned over so that his ear was right   
by Mandy's head. Mandy paused and thought about the possibilities   
that could come out of being disrespectful to the White House Chief   
of Staff.  
"I said, maybe." She said clearly.   
"Right." Leo exclaimed. "Well, don't do it, Mandy. You're far too   
young." He said as the rest of the staff stifled their snickers.   
"I still want to know who Zarry Teeger is." Josh said.   
"Give up on it, would you?" Donna pleaded.   
"Try reading the book. Maybe you'll get some ideas." Leo retorted   
as he munched on a carrot.   
"72% of the voting booths closed. Mathis has the Republicans and   
we've got the Democratic lead." Sam announced as he moved into the   
room.   
"Great. Only six more hours and then Mandy can start breathing   
again." CJ exclaimed.   
"Still think the book's booby-trapped." Josh muttered.   
"Thank you so much, CJ." Mandy retorted.   
"What book?" Sam asked.   
"What? You're not breathing. When's the last time you inhaled?"   
CJ asked.  
"The Trials and Tribulations of Zarry Teeger." Josh replied as he   
pulled out his copy from his jacket pocket and showed it to Sam.  
"I don't do drugs, CJ." Mandy said sweetly.   
"God, Sam, don't get him started." Donna whimpered.  
"Yeah, right." CJ muttered.  
"Oh, that book. Hey, it's on the bestseller list." Sam mentioned   
as he grabbed a carrot and stuck it into the dip.  
"It is?" Josh and Leo asked at the same time. Sam looked at them,   
noticing that he'd gotten everyone's attention.  
"Yeah, it's been out for a little over a month. It's topping the   
fiction NY Bestseller list and a couple others." He said.   
"But who is Zarry Teeger?" Josh asked harshly. Sam shrugged.  
"A writer, I suppose. A good one too. I read the thing. The style   
felt very familiar, but I don't know where I can place it." He said.   
"I know. It's the same thing with me." CJ admitted.   
"Leo, the phone's for you." Margaret said as she leaned into the   
room. Leo followed her out and grabbed the phone. He talked for a   
moment before hanging up and walking back into the Oval Office.  
"Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen. It has just been   
announced, and confirmed. Jed Bartlet is the Democratic nominee for   
the Presidency." He said as he glanced around the room proudly. Josh   
gave Mandy a hard pat on the back and everyone watched as she exhaled   
loudly.  
"What'd I tell you?" CJ said with a grin. Everyone chuckled and   
then took the glasses that Sam had filled with champagne. Leo handed   
one to Mrs. Landingham and the staff rose to their feet.   
"To the potential second term of Josiah Bartlet." Josh said.   
Everyone chuckled and then clinked glasses.   
"Amen." Leo murmured.

"Honey, where are you hiding?" Jed Bartlet called as he walked   
through the hallways of his New Hampshire home. Finally, he found his   
wife in the kitchen along with his youngest daughter and his   
aide. "What are you doing? Are you messing with my chili?" He   
accused.   
"Absolutely." Zoey replied as she added a dash of oregano to the   
pot.   
"Since you're not eating it, you obviously won't mind." Abbey   
added.   
"Honey, it's election night. It's a special occasion." Jed   
whined.   
"It's the night of the primaries, not election night, and your   
heart doesn't make exceptions for special occasions." Abbey retorted   
as her husband slipped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss   
on her neck.  
"With all due respect, Mr. President, Mrs. Landingham gave me   
explicit instructions about what you should eat while we're here."   
Charlie added. Abbey chuckled as Jed growled.  
"I'm gonna beat the woman with a head of cabbage." He snarled.  
"She's survived so much, Jed, I think she'd survive a cabbage   
head beating." Abbey retorted.   
"Hey, dad, what's the TV say?" Zoey asked.  
"Mathis is winning the Republicans." Jed said as he looked at the   
four plates on the counter, three of which had a bowl for chili along   
with some potatoes and other various tasty looking foods while the   
fourth one had a rather large salad and a piece of toast on it.   
"Great. What about our guys?" Zoey asked.   
"Listen, when they call it, Leo's gonna call me. Just relax." Jed   
replied, still distracted by the meager looking fourth meal. As if on   
cue, the phone rang. Everyone glanced at each other uncertainly and   
then at Jed as he slowly grabbed the receiver and brought it up to   
his ear. "Hello?"  
There was a short silence as Jed listened and then hung up the   
phone. "Can we eat yet?" He asked as he walked back to them.  
"Dad!" Zoey whined playfully. Jed and Abbey chuckled.  
"That was Leo." He admitted. The others became silent. "This   
year's democratic nominee for the President of the United States is   
none other than Dr. Josiah Bartlet." He said with a smile. Zoey   
cheered as Abbey hugged her husband tightly and Charlie grinned from   
ear to ear.   
"Way to go, sir." He said softly. Jed looked at him and smiled.   
"Thank you, Charlie. To us all." He said softly.


End file.
